withing-ton



(No Model.) V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. H. WITHINGTON.

' PORK. No. 324,908. Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. H. WITHINGTON.

FORK.

No. 324,908. Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

flaw I I a Iinrren WILLIAM II. \VITIIINGTON, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

FORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,908, dated August25, 1885.

Application tiled May 2, 1885.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM H. WITH- ING-TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resid ing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State ofh'Iichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Forks,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

hly invention relates to forks for handling hay and the like; and thenovelty consists in the construction and adaptation of parts, as will bemore fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in theclaims.

The object of the invention is to provide a fork which shall, by reasonof its peculiar form and adaptation, combine ease both in obtaining andhandling the load, and ease of delivcry in retreating the fork after theload has been deposited. These objects I attain, and the accomplishmentis largely due to such improvements in construction as give a betterhang to the fork. The hang of a fork is the feature of constructionwhich throws the weight of the fork proper, the tines, and head to oneside of the axis of the handle, whereby the gravity will bring the tinesconcave side up and in the same horizontal plane. The importance of thisfeature has been well known, and many attempts have been made to improveupon it; but I find that many of these attempts, while they succeed inaccomplishing the hang and in throwing the weight of the fork proper toone side of the axis of the handle, sacrifice other important advantageswhich should accrue to a proper adaptation of parts, an easy delivery ofthe hay being a feature notably sacrificed in such attempts.

In Patent No. 64,789, of 1867, the hang was obtained in connection witha straight handle by a casthead-frame having arms extending at rightangles to theplane of the handle, and sockets which received detachableor separate tines. This construction threw the weight of the fork properto one side of the axis of the handlr; but it made the delivery sodifficult that separate mechanism had to be devised to keep the hay fromgetting behind the head and preventing the withdrawal of the fork. In mydevice the shank, head, and tines are all forged from one piece of steeland made integral, and to this feature I attach importance. I havedemonstrated that it is possible (No model.)

to obtain this hang with a straight-handled fork and not sacrifice anyof the remaining features of importance. I arrange the dish of the forkat a proper distance from the end of the handle and eccentric to theaxis thereof, so as to make the fork easy to handle whether empty orloaded. The tines have a gradual curve throughout their entire length toinsure easy delivery of the hay, and the hang, the dish is brought inthe portion of the fork nearest the handle. v

The invention belongs to that class of devices in which slight changes,a curve even, may effect a saving of labor, and comprise an importantimprovement, a new result.

I illustrate the invention by comparing the improved fork with anordinary fork with straight shank and handle.

Figure 1 is a face view of the invention, while Fig. 2 is a similar viewof an ordinary straight-handled fork. Figs. 3 and 4 show a form with abifurcated head or shank cur bodying the invention, Fig. 3 being a faceand Fig. 4 an edge view of the same. Fig. 5 is an edge viewcorresponding to Fig. 1, and Fig.6 is a similar view corresponding toFig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that I employ a straighthandle, a, in which is secured the shank b. This shank extends beyondthe end of the handle, and in a curve, 0, between points m and a, isdeflected from the plane of the axis of the handle to an angle saythirty (30) degrees. Between points a and 0 the curved tines runapproximately parallel or form a dish, d,the general bottom of which isparallel with the axis of the handle. Between points 0 and p, whichconstitutes the delivery portion a of the tines, the said tines crossthe path of the axis of the handle at an angle, say, of twenty (20)degrees. IVhile I do not specify these angles as being exact, I assertthat the relations of the parts as thus set forth-viz., the handle astraight, the shank I), having curve 0, the dish (1, and deliveryportions 0 of the tines (I, in their relations to the axis of the handlea, constitute the features of aggregate novelty upon which depend theimproved results attained. Now, it cannot be said that this improvementis due simply to the formation of a bend in the shank, for in Fig. 6 Iillustrate an ordinary fork holding exactly the same relation to ahorizontal line,

A O, and to an inclined line, A B, as does the improved device shown inFig. 3. It will be seen that if the fork and handle were held in thosepositions an axial line drawn through the handle of the fork the concaveor dish or hang would be absent. Now, to force the handle down, thetines remaining in position to give the dish or hang mentioned, asindicated in dotted lines, would bring the points ofthe tines on a linewith the axis, and the delivery portion a would be absent. To attain thebest results this axial line must agree with about the central portionof the tines, and the shank must I throw the head of the forkconsiderably beyond the end of the handle, and to one side of theaxialline thereof. The theory of the improvement is well brought out inFig. 5. In this case the shank b, byits curves 0, throws the head Itbeyond andecoentric to the axis of the handle, while the length of thetines is nearly equally divided between a dishing part upon one side ofthe axis and a delivery portion upon the opposite side thereof, thedelivery portion being slightly less than the other.

The device shown in Figs. 3 and 4 illustrates the complete invention,the shank be-' ing bifurcated and each leg carrying two tines.

These legs have the curve a to throw the two heads away from the axialline of the handle.v

When proportioned as seen in Fig.5, about three fil'ths of the heavierpart of the fork form the dish or hang upon one side of the axial line,and the other two fifths comprise the lighter ends of the tinesprojecting upon the otherside of said line. This construction gives avery desirable and labor saving hang to the device, holding the loadfirmly and evenly within the control of the operator, the tine ends orportions 6 serving to hold the load in place. As the hay is depositedupon the load, or elsewhere, with the fork reversed the fork may beretracted easily, the gradual curve throughout the tines allowing suchmovement with slight deflection.

Patent No. 48,665, of l865,is familiar to the inventor. It has anextended shank, extended for the purpose of allowing a hinge to beformed thereon, and curved to agree with a supplemental fork. The hang,if it has the feature at all, is at the expense of the delivery,requiring a guard in oneinstance and the points being about on a linewith the axis of the handle in the other.

In applying my improvements to forks adapted to certain special usesas,for example, a manure-fork-I preferably spring or bend the handle for adistance of about six or eight inches, beginning at a point about fourinches from the end of the handle.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. A hayor other fork having a shank projecting beyond the end of the handle,which shank'is curved to throw the head eccentric to the axis of thehandle, and curved teeth or tines lying partly upon either side of saidaxis, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A hay or other fork having a bifurcated shank bent to throw the headseccentric to the axis of the handle, and having curved teeth or tines,which project across the line of said axis, as and for the purpose setforth.

3. The fork described, consisting of the handle a, the shank b, curvedat c to throw the head h eccentric to the handle, and the tines d,curved to form a dishing part upon one side of the axis of thehandle togive the proper hang, and projecting delivery and holding portions uponopposite sides of said axis,

all arranged and serving as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WVILLIA M H. WITH 1 NGTON.

Witnesses:

E. A. SUMNER, W. I. GORDON.

